To Have and To Hold
by xStarfirex
Summary: AU. Renamed. Kory and Richard are engaged to different people. They don't talk to each other a lot, but their fiances sense a spark between them which they hope and pray will go away. But ten days makes all the difference... RichKor
1. Cirque Du Soleil

**A/N I'm back with another story! I hope you all like this one!**

**To Have and To Hold  
****Chapter: 1**

**Cirque Du Soleil  
****By: xStarfirex**

I sat under a tree that shaded me from the sun. It was around 2pm and here I was with nothing better to do. I was sitting on a bench under the tree near the beach. I wore a brown skirt and a pink tank top. I had a book in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other.

"Hey honey," a boy with red crimson hair, much like mine, came walking toward me with a pink covered book in one hand. That book looked oddly familiar? Where have I seen it before?

"That book…" I began. Before I could finish my sentence, he showed me the book and a smile appeared on my face.

"Can I have your autograph, miss?" He said and I got up and gave him my famous bone-crushing hug.

"I bought your book and I read it, it was awesome!" He said.

His name is Roy Harper, and he is my fiancé. He is twenty two years old and he has red hair and blue eyes.

"It's so sad that Elizabeth and Daniel broke up and that Elizabeth got engaged to the horrible Nathan instead," Roy explained.

"Yeah, but on the bright side, Lizzie found her long lost brother, Brian, and Nathan isn't horrible, he's just rich," I argued

"Rich, but tough. Nathan was so quiet and secretive before Lizzie came into the picture."

"And that's what makes my book so interesting," I said. At least he stopped arguing.

My name is Kory Anders. I am twenty one years old and I am engaged to Roy Harper. It's an arranged marriage actually. My father, Galfore, struck a deal with Roy's father and well here we are today, engaged to be married in five months. I have crimson red hair and emerald green eyes. I am an author and I have written my first successful novel which, by the way, was a bestseller. It's titled "To Have and To Hold."

Roy and I were walking on the pier. I looked through that telescope and far off from the shore, somewhere in the ocean I saw a group of people swimming with the dolphins. They all looked happy. And why wouldn't they be?

"Look what I have," Roy said. I turned around to face him and he held up two tickets. I let out a small squeal before I grabbed the tickets from his hand. I examined them carefully and yes, they were real.

"We're gonna see Cirque Du Soleil later at eight," he said.

I've always wanted to see that show. I've heard it was an awesome show. I mean, it is. Can you defy gravity like that and survive? Imagine all the pain they went through during rehearsals. Anything to make money, I suppose.

That night at eight, Roy and I drove down to Long Beach. There was a huge circus tent there and I became more curious as to what was inside it. We parked and I practically dragged him inside the tent because he was going way to slow. We found our seats and I discovered we were sitting on the third row. Cool! One-hundred dollar seats, things couldn't get better.

I suddenly heard people murmur and whisper stuff. There were only two words I understood from all the whispering. Richard Grayson. The richest bachelor in Jump City. I personally thought he was kinda… hot. What am I saying? I'm getting married! I turned around. At first I couldn't see anything because of all the flashing lights. Then as I squinted my eyes, I saw him. Richard Grayson in a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue shirt. Clinging to his arm, was a very thin blonde. She must have been a size two in jeans! She had layered hair that ended a little past her shoulders and blue eyes. She wore a light pink mini skirt and a white tank top. Isn't she ever cold? I see her modeling in magazines all the time. She doesn't wear jeans, well at least not all the time. Her name is Summer Moth and she is such a daddy's little girl. Her dad's rich because he owns a series of hotel chains. She also has a snobby attitude she shows to everyone, all except Richard, her fiancé. Her and Richard's engagement was just an arranged marriage, by their fathers. In Richard's case, his adoptive father. They are scheduled to be married in six months. A month after my wedding.

Richard and Summer walked to the first row and sat down, Summer still clinging to his arm. The show started and we watched in amazement as the performers did their amazing stunts. The show was two hours and thirty minutes. An hour into the show, there was a thirty minute intermission and everyone got up and exited the tent. Either to use the bathroom or buy food. Roy bought us ice cream we ate it during intermission.

After intermission, the show continued. One of the "clowns" was pretending to be a director and he needed four people from the audience to be the "actors." This was the part where I hated the fact I sat in the third row, which was very close to the stage. The "clown" pointed right at me and I had no choice but to get up and be part of it. Two random guys were chosen too. But the last person who was chosen practically gave me a heart attack. Richard Grayson was chosen.

The "clown" instructed Richard to hold me and tilt me, as if he was going to kiss me. Then random guy number one would come in through this fake door and find me and Richard tilting. He would take out his fake gun and shoot Richard. We had many outtakes. I could see, from the corner of my eye, that Summer was getting kinda pissed that her precious fiancé was holding someone else. Richard looked right into my eyes and smiled at me. I would have fainted then, but Roy was watching. I looked into his eyes also. When he touched me, did I feel a spark? I could have sworn I did. Maybe I was just imagining. He gave me a loving smile and I felt lost in his crystal blue sapphire eyes. I had forgotten to do my part and now the "clown" was yelling at me and Richard, just no sound came from his mouth. He is a clown after all. We kept doing the scene over and over again until we finally got it right. After, as we took our seats, the audience applauded. As I walked back to my seat, I saw fury build up in Summer's eyes. I knew she was wishing she had played the character I played. She must think she could act better because she was in a movie once. She must be thinking I'm a noob. Well guess what, princess, I don't care what you think.

I got back to my seat and Roy complimented my performance.

"You did great, honey," he said.

As we watched the other half of the show, I couldn't help look at Richard from time to time. He was sitting almost right in front of me anyway. I remembered his eyes were filled with love. Pure love. Love that Summer doesn't deserve.

The show ended and the audience gave a standing ovation. Reviewers were right, the show was awesome!

It took a while for everyone to exit the tent, but we got out. Roy went into one of the bathroom stalls and I waited outside. Just then, out of nowhere, Richard came walking towards me.

"You did a great performance earlier," he complimented me? Richard Grayson, rich arrogant jerk, complimented _me_? I must be dreaming.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Grayson," I replied.

"Please, call me Richard," he said.

"Ok, Richard, if you say so."

"You're Kory Anders, right? You authored my favorite book, To Have and To Hold, I love that book." He complimented me again! This must be my lucky day.

"You do? Wow, looks like I have a another new fan," ok, that was stupid of me to say.

"I really loved your book, but my girl- I mean- _fiance_ didn't really like it much, I tried to change her mind but she can be hard-headed sometimes." Sometimes? Hello, she's always hard-headed! Wake up and open your eyes, Richard!

"It's ok, some people just don't appreciate talent," I joked. He laughed.

Summer suddenly came running towards Richard.

"I'm sorry, Ritchie-poo, did I make you wait? I went to the gift shop and there was a long line," Summer excused, "Oh, who's your friend?"

"Summer, this is Kory, you know, the author who wrote, To Have and To Hold," Richard introduced us.

"Oh yes, Kory Anders! I loved you book!" she said with fake enthusiasm. Oh yeah right! You didn't even read it! Fake!

"Oh, well, thank you!" I said with the same fake enthusiasm. But she's too stupid to know I was faking it. Richard must have pretended he didn't know I was using fake enthusiasm. Oh well!

Roy came walking up to me with a bouquet of roses in his hand. When did he get those?

"Oh my god, they're beautiful!" I said as he handed me the roses, "when did you get them?"

"Just now, at the gift shop," he said. I saw the jealousy stirring up in Summer's eyes. I could tell that it's been a while since the last time she received roses from Richard.

"Oh, Roy, this Richard, Richard, this is Roy, my fiance," I said, introducing the two. Summer cleared her throat, "And this is Summer."

"I know, Summer and I already met," Roy said.

"You did? How?" I questioned.

"Gift shop," he answered and I nodded.

"Well, we have to get going, honey, we don't wanna be late," Roy said.

"Late? Late for what?" I asked.

"You'll see, well, nice meeting you, Summer and Richard," he said and took a hold of my waist and lead me to the car. I could see from the corner of my eye, Richard and Summer were walking behind us. Then I realized their car was parked near ours.

**A/N** **Did you like it? Yes? No? Exceptional? I hope to update this as soon as possible. I have a week off from school because of Spring Break and I have nothing better to do. I also plan on updating my other stories. I'm sorry for all those awesome reviews out there that have to wait for me to update my stories. Sorry guys!**


	2. My Wedding Dream

**A/N Wow, twelve reviews for the first chapter. Not bad. I hope to improve though. Well, here's the next chappie. Enjoy!**

**To Have and To Hold  
****Chapter: 2**

**My Wedding Dream  
****By: xStarfirex**

I walked with my eyes closed. Roy made me cover my eyes and I had no choice but to oblige. Things I do for my fiancé. Now, if I bump into something hard, I'm gonna kill him!

Ouch! I just tried over a rock. Luckily, it was a small rock. I kept walking, being cautious of what I'm stepping on.

"Ok, open your eyes," Roy finally said and I opened them. I let out a gasp.

"Oh my god!" I said.

"Let's go in," he suggested and I followed. The walkway was filled with fans and paparazzi with cameras and recorders. I couldn't believe I was here! People were yelling different things as we walked by.

"Oh my god that's Kory Anders!"

"Kory, Kory, look over here!"

"Kory, can I have your autograph?"

"How does it feel to be a famous author, Kory?"

"Kory, I love you!"

"Kory, will you marry me?"

I laughed on the inside as the heard the many different comments. I smiled for the photos and Roy and I finally got into the building. A restaurant, actually.

"Welcome to The Glass House," the waiter said.

I couldn't believe I was actually in The Glass House Restaurant! It's really hard to get a reservation for a restaurant as high-class as this. What a day! I looked around and realized that the restaurant's name actually suits the restaurant. Glass everywhere! On the walls, the ceiling, even the doors! It was beautiful. There was even a large balcony outside for those romantic dinners. Roy and I took out seats inside. We ordered those famous expensive meals everyone's balling about. Like the restaurant even has a meal below $100.

"How did you get reservations to The Glass House?" I questioned Roy with a confused look.

"I have my ways," was the answer I got. Oh yeah, Roy, you're a big help.

The waiter took our orders and I began to take into my surroundings. If glass wasn't on the walls, then mirrors would be. Wow, the designer who designed this place must really like to look at himself a lot. In the corner of the room, there was a huge fish tank and little kids surrounding it. They were pointing to all the colorful fish. From far away, the fish tank actually looks like a rainbow with all the different colored fish. Most of them I've never seen or heard of before. Where do they get these fish?

"That Richard Grayson seems like a nice guy," Roy said breaking the uncomfortable silence between us.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said but what I really meant was 'Speak for yourself! Richard's such a womanizer. Do you read the tabloids?'

"But just a week ago, you thought he was a pervert who happened to be rich yet dumb."

Oh yeah, I remember saying something like that last week. I still think he's a dumb pervert, nothing you say or do can change my mind. And plus, I think he was hitting on me earlier! That overly nice attitude of his, he must want really want me. Psshh that engaged jerk!

"Yeah I still do, but sometimes he can be nice without pushing the limit." What am I saying? He _always_ pushes the limit.

"Ok, ok."

A few minutes later, my $300 lobster came and his $250 steak came. Wow, my lobster was huge. How would they expect me to finish it? I mean, come on! We finally finished our food about an hour after we got it. I still left some lobster on mine though, really it was hard to finish. From the corner of my eye, I saw so many flashing lights I almost got blind. Where do these flashes come from? First Cirque Du Soleil now this? Seriously! I turned around and guess who I saw. Yup, that arrogant idiot, Richard Grayson was here. Was he following me or something? It's kind of getting annoying seeing him everywhere. Summer followed Richard as they took their seats. Summer was wearing a different outfit now. It was a knee length strapless black dress. How many outfits does she have to wear to get through the day? Surprisingly, they took a seat three tables from ours. Richard flashed me one of his famous smiles while I just gave him a slight and non enthusiastic smile. Did he think I was happy to see him? Well, guess again, genius!

After Richard and Summer sat down, I immediately asked for the check. I didn't want to stay any longer knowing that the stalker might be watching my every move. The waiter came with the check and just when I was about to open it, Roy grabbed it from me.

"This was my treat, I'm paying for it," Roy said and dropped a credit card in the pocket of the check book.

"Thank you for dinner," I said. I looked over his shoulder and I saw Richard talking on his cell phone. Typical Mr. Grayson, always busy on his phone. No, wait, that's Summer.

A few minutes later, Roy and I got up, ready to leave. Richard looked over at me and gave a pleading look, as if mentally asking me to stay a little longer. Well, what do you think the answer is? Roy and I left the restaurant, but not before signing a few autographs and posing for some photos outside. Paparazzi can get very pushy you know.

"Hey, our anniversary is in a week, what do you wanna do?" Roy asked as we got into the car.

"I dunno. You're the man, aren't _you_ suppose to be making the plans, hmm?" I said.

"Yeah, your right. Ok, fine then, _I'll_ make the plans."

I smiled of victory. At least I wasn't the one who had to make anniversary plans and pay for everything. It feels good to be a girl. Me and Roy's third anniversary as a couple, this will be exciting. I wonder where we will be going. I looked at my watch and it said 12:00am. Morning already? That was fast. We arrived at my condo where Roy dropped me off.

"I have to go to work tomorrow-or in this case- I have to go to work in a few hours, so I won't be here the whole day. I hope you can find something to entertain yourself," Roy said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I will," I said and kissed Roy and went to my condo on the twenty-fifth floor. My place was so spacious. It overlooked Jump City and its bay. It was two floors.

As soon as I opened the door to my place, the telephone immediately rang. I didn't answer it because I was too tired and lazy to talk to anyone this late. So I let the answering machine get it.

"Hey, you have reached the number of Kory Anders, I'm not in right now so sing your song after the beep," my pre-recorded voice was saying that cheesy line followed by high-pitched "BEEEP"

"Kory, it's Raven, are you in? Oh my god, I heard the scariest rumor about you…" my best friend, Raven, said, but I didn't really let her finish because I answered it despite my laziness.

"Raven, what happened?" I asked, holding the phone up to my ear.

"The freakin paparazzi made an outrageous rumor about you!" she screamed in my ear.

"What is it?"

"I'm reading the latest issue of 'Teen People' magazine and it has a picture and you and that stupid Richard Grayson holding hands! The title says 'Did Kory dump Roy for his rich look-alike, Richard?'"

"What!"

"How did they get a picture of you, Kory?"

I looked over on my shelf where all my pictures were. I walked over to it with my cordless phone in one hand. I took the first picture and held it in my other hand. The picture was of me and Roy holding hands on the beach.

"Raven, what's the background of the picture?" I asked.

"The beach, why?"

There you have it. That picture was originally of me and Roy, but somehow the paparazzi got a hold of it and replaced Roy with Richard. Roy doesn't even look anything like Richard! Unbelievable! I posed for pictures, I gave them my autograph. What more do the paparazzi need from me?

"I gotta go, Raven, talk to you later," I said and hung up before Raven could respond.

Life. It's such a wonderful and mysterious thing. First this happens, then another thing totally different happens. You never understand it. You never have time to prepare for it. How can something so precious as life, betray you? I was a small time girl a few years ago. Before my dad started his company. Before we moved into the big city. Before I published my first novel. Before my parents struck a deal to marry me off. Before any of this, I loved my life. I didn't care about the paparazzi because they weren't focused on me. What happened? Why did it all change? Is it fate? Is it supposed to be my destiny? Some things are better left unsolved, no matter how desperate we are.

I sat up in bed, staring out into the window. I let my mind wander to whatever popped up in my head first as I slowly close my eyes and drift back into my sleep.

_I stood there staring at my reflection for quite some time. I looked beautiful in my silky white wedding dress. The veil trailed behind me as I walked. I carefully examined myself checking every detail of my dress and my complexion. Light blush, some mascara and eye shadow, and lip gloss is all I need to bring out the color in my face. My hair was in a bun with a diamond headband and a veil over it. I wore white chandelier earrings. My dress had two thin straps holding it up with some flowery designs at the bottom. The dress reached the floor. I held a bouquet of pink roses in my hand. I smiled at myself, and my reflection seemed to smile back. I couldn't believe this day had finally come._

"_Kory, are you ready?" Raven said as she opened the door and found me inside. I was born ready._

_I followed Raven and stood behind all the bridesmaids and best men. I was last. The line was very long. Cameras were everyone, they were covering my wedding. I felt proud. At last, everyone had walked down the center aisle and now it was my turn. _

_The wedding was outside on a hill. It was overlooking the beach. There were pink roses everywhere. I walked down the center aisle on the silky white carpet that led to the minister and the man in a tuxedo whose back was turned to me. That, right there, was my future husband. To Have and To Hold, those words kept swimming around in my head. That was all I could really think about at that moment. After what seemed like hours, I finally reached the end of the aisle. I stood below the steps waiting for my prince charming to take my hand. Well, it didn't turn out that way. He turned around and I saw not the face of Roy, but of another. Someone I never wanted to see at my wedding. Richard Grayson took my hand and helped me up the small flight of stairs. I couldn't move. Something was keeping me from running away from my own wedding. I wanted to run away from Richard. I so badly wanted to run away. But why couldn't I? To Have and To Hold, until death do us part…_

I awoke sitting straight up on my queen sized bed. Sweat was running down my forehead. I looked outside and it was still pretty dark. What was that dream I had? The dream where I had to marry… no, I can't even say his name. It's too hard. But, that dream, it seemed so real. My dream wedding, I thought it was all real. But, why Richard? That position was meant for Roy. It was planned out carefully. Where could it have gone wrong? Ok, Kory, get a grip. It was all just a dream. All of it. Let it go and go back to sleep. I don't wake up until 9. Just let it go.

**A/N Hoped you guys liked this chappie. That was still pretty short, wasn't it? One of my reviews from my other fanfic gave me some advice to lower the quotes and add more details. I hope I accomplished that in this fanfic. Time to review! And no flames, please. I actually changed the title from "Shadowed Emotions" to "To Have and To Hold" because I came up with more ideas for this fanfic. This is my favorite one I wrote so far. I hope to improve. All week of spring break and I still haven't finished my book reports. I still have stuff to do. I'm also making a mini movie to commemorate SFA's class of 2007. I'm almost done, I just need more pictures. It's really cool, but also very depressing. I hope my friends like it. Well, thanks for my reviews you guys! You all rock!**


	3. Goodbye and Good Riddance

**A/N Chapter 3 is now open for reviews!**

**Dedication: blossomel91 cuz she reviewed this fanfic twice!**

**To Have and To Hold  
****Chapter: 3**

**Goodbye and Good Riddance  
****By: xStarfirex**

I awoke the next morning at 9am. The sun's bright rays were shining through my window. It was too bright. I finally got out of bed after realizing I can't fall back asleep. I poured myself some cereal and ate in front of the TV. Oh, hey, Titanic was on. It just started! I watched it as I ate my breakfast. Half way into the movie, I began crying. It was too sad for me! I mean, how would you feel if your one true love died in the ocean like that? He died to save you and he never even got a chance to propose! It's so sad! I left my cereal bowl on the coffee table, not bothering to even take it to the kitchen. I was so into the movie that I didn't hear my cell phone. After the movie ended, I checked my cell and I got one new message.

"Hey honey, I'll be at work from 9am to 7pm, my boss is so strict, he wants this new project completed by tomorrow, that's why I'm out for the whole day. Well, I'll call you tomorrow" I read. Oh, that's nice. I hate your boss.

After the text message ordeal, I went upstairs to do the usual. Shower, brush my teeth, you know, the works. I dressed into a pair of blue jeans with my pink mini skirt over it. My top was a regular long pink shirt that says "I'd like to buy the world a coke." What a catchy phrase. That commercial of the coke product was cool too. I left my hair down and I wore sapphire earrings with a matching sapphire necklace. I put on some light blush, some eye shadow, and shiny lip gloss. I grabbed my light pink purse and put the essentials in it. My makeup, lip gloss, some money, my keys, my cell phone, a scrunchi, and my ipod just incase I get bored. I wore my black and white converse. After double checking with the mirror, I went outside and headed to my Mercedes in the parking area on ground level. Today, I decided to spend the day with my best friend, Raven.

I drove twenty minutes before I reached the other side of town. Welcome to South Gotham City. Raven lives in a house near the beach. It gives an awesome sunset view. I arrived at the gate and pressed the button in the call box next to me. After a few rings, Raven finally decided to answer the phone.

"Kory?" she said over the call box. Did I mention she has a security cam too?

"Hey Raven, just thought we'd hang out," I said and she let me in through the tall brass gates. As soon as I parked my car, the front door opened and Raven came out in dark purple sweats. Her hair was in a ponytail and she wore black DC shoes. I wonder where she's been all morning. Raven Roth is an actress. She has purple-ish hair and violet eyes. I looked at my Gucci watch and it read '11:32'. It's almost lunch time.

"Hey Raven!" I said and gave her a hug as she let me inside her home. Her place was a simple two story house. The living room wall was a huge window with a huge balcony that leads down to the beach. Raven even has a private pool and Jacuzzi on her balcony.

"So what are you doing here, Kory?" Raven asked as she leaned on the door frame. I was sitting on the sofa picking up a magazine as Raven walked in.

"What? Can't I spend the day with my best friend?"

"Alright, where's Roy?" She knows me well. I sighed, giving up.

"Fine. Roy's at work. He'll be there all day. So now I'm spending the day with you!"

"Your boyfriend leaves you alone for the day so you turn to your best friend."

"Exactly!" I said.

Raven rolled her eyes at my response and left the living room. It's been a while since I last saw her so I forgot how fun it sometimes can get when we're hanging out. I felt something vibrate underneath me, I jumped and let out a small "EEEK!" ok, well, maybe it was _that_ small. I looked around and on the sofa was Raven's cell phone. I picked it up and I realized Raven got a new text message. Raven wasn't in the room so I figured, why not? I opened her black razr phone and opened her new text message. It was from Garfield Logan! Gar is an actor, like Raven is an actress, he co-starred with her in her latest movie 'Shadows of My Heart', which by the way I saw. Gar has green hair, which I think he dyed, and matching green eyes, like me.

The text message said "Hey Rae, what's up? It's been a long time since we hung out, wanna go somewhere later?" Was Gar hitting on my best friend? No way…

Raven crept up behind me and took her phone from my hands.

"Who said you could read my text messages, I don't read yours," Raven said as she looked through her messages and began to text Gar back. I wonder what she wrote.

"Sorry, I was just curious. I didn't know you and Garfield were…"

"No! We're not, we're just friends," Raven said. But something tells me she was lying.

"If you say so. Anyway, it's almost lunchtime, let's go out for lunch," I suggested.

"Alright, let me get changed first," and with that, Raven went upstairs to her room.

A few minutes later, she came back down. She wore dark blue jeans and a light, elbow-length purple blouse with her black DC's. We went outside and we rode in Raven's silver convertible. We drove to Olive Garden for lunch. I ordered a Chicken Alfredo while Raven ordered a Shrimp Scampi. As we waited for our food to arrive, we decided to make conversation.

"Hey Rae-ven, how did you and Gar meet?" I said, correcting my mistake of calling her Rae. She hates being called Rae. You either call her Raven or don't call her at all.

"Gar and I met on the set of 'Shadows of My Heart' and remember on the last scene, where he kisses me, that's where it all began. He eventually asked for my number," Raven explained.

"That's it?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

That was a short story. I thought it would be longer. Some more details would be nice, though. After lunch, we went to the mall, which was right across it. I went into Forever21 and saw a cute brown tank top with white shorts. I gotta have that outfit! I took the shorts in a size 4 and the top in a size medium. I didn't look half bad. I found a long black-shelled necklace that goes with the outfit. I bought that as well. As I tried on the full outfit, Raven was looking at the black dresses on the other side of the store. I looked at myself in the mirror and nodded in approval before I changed back into my regular clothes. I went up to the cashier and paid for them. $75 for the top, $75 for the shorts, $35 for the long necklace, and $6.50 for tax, giving me a total of $191.50. Not bad. I looked through the racks once more if I found something else cute. I picked up a one-shoulder pink shirt but put it back when my phone started vibrating. I took out my 'pretty in pink' light pink razr and answered it.

"Kory, are you done?" Raven asked from the other line.

"Yeah," I said.

"Meet me by the big fountain in the center of the mall," she said and hung up. I looked around the store and realized Raven wasn't in the store with me anymore. What did she do? I grabbed my shopping bag and walked out the store. I tried not looking at the new fashions at the store windows or else it would take me a _really_ long time to get to the center of the mall; although, I did like those pair of brown and pink shoes at the Converse Store.

When I got to the fountain in the center of the mall, I looked around trying to find Raven. And there she was! Her back was turned to me and she looked at the fountain instead. I walked up to her and tapped her shoulder.

"Why did you leave me in the store?" I asked.

"Sorry," Raven said, "but I wanted you to meet someone."

She stepped aside and guess who I saw. That's right, the one and only, Garfield Logan. Oh my gosh, did she have to meet him _here_? But today's _my_ day to hang out with Raven! Not cool.

"Kory, this is Gar, Gar, this is Kory," Raven said introducing us.

"Hi Kory, it's a pleasure to meet you at last," Gar said, shaking my hand.

"No, no, the pleasure is all mine," I said.

"By the way, your novel, To Have and To Hold, touched my heart, it was a beautiful piece of work," he complimented. Ok, Raven, I approve of him.

"Oh thank you, and your movie, Shadows of My Heart, was very touching," I said.

"Thanks."

"We'll, let's get out of here, Gar offered to take us to a movie," Raven said.

"Oh, what movie?" I asked. Well, I gotta know or else I'm not going.

"How does M:i:3 sound?" Gar asked.

"Cool, I'm up for the third movie of Mission Impossible," I said.

"Let's get going, the movie starts in about two hours," Raven said. I would hate to leave the mall. There are so many new fashions on sale. But, it's one of those rare days I hang out with Raven, so, what the heck? I have nothing to lose. I haven't hung out with Raven for a day since before I started dating Roy.

I nodded in agreement and we left the mall. Gar drove his car, which is a Silver Porsche, while Raven and I were in Rae's silver convertible. We listened to 102.7 in the car. Pretty soon, I found myself viewing a beautiful beach with a high-tide. Dude, why couldn't I have spent the day there? Sand, sun, and surf three major factors of the beach. Almost forgot, hot guys! Can't forget them. That's the vital factor in every visit to the beach. Oh, here we go again. I'm thinking about shirtless surfer guys with a six pack. When will this end! Oh well, Roy will never know I've been thinking about this. This never happened alright.

As I looked out onto horizon, I saw a shadowy figure emerge from the ocean. I couldn't make out his face but his body was gorgeous! Breathtakingly gorgeous! A six pack, just like I had daydreamed. He was carrying a surfboard in one hand. He walked to what looked like a little girl. No wait, it was just a really thin adult female. Holy crap! She just kissed him! That wasn't what I expected to see. Before I knew it, the guy looked right at me. I turned away from him, blushing deeply. That just didn't happen, did it? We finally passed by the guy and his girlfriend, or whatever she was to him, and I pinched myself lightly on the arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Yup, I wasn't dreaming. What I saw back there was true. I looked out my window again and the guy and girl had their backs turned to me as they walked hand in hand to the beach bar.

"KORY!" Raven screamed and I turned around.

"WHAT!" I said with the same energy.

"I've been calling your name for the past five minutes, are you deaf of something?" she asked.

"No, I was just thinking," I said.

"Anyway, Gar called and he said the next showing of M:i:3 is at 5:00, an hour from now, he's asking what do you wanna do until then," Raven explained.

I consulted my watch and found out it was already 4:00. Time goes by fast. Gar parked in a parking spot in the beach parking area and Raven parked next to him.

"I really don't know what to do until then," I said and got out of the car. Raven sighed and followed. Gar got out of his car as well.

"Welcome to South Gotham Beach, ladies. Since you girls can't figure out what you want to do in an hour, I will decide for you," Gar announced to both of us.

"Yay," Raven said in a monotone sarcastic voice.

"Oh, joy," I said in the same tone as Raven. Raven and I walked passed Gar and onto the golden sand.

"Hey, wait up! I was just kidding, you know!" Gar said as he ran after us. He's a total comedian.

Raven walked towards the wooden stairs that lead to the Boardwalk as I walked on the shore and at the same time, admiring the ocean's natural beauty. Raven and I went separate ways and from the corner of my eye, I saw Gar stop in the middle of us. I guess he was deciding who to follow. After a few seconds of turning from Raven to me then Raven again, I could see him rush after Raven, who I think is now at the top of the stairs. So, there I was. Alone on the beach.

After a few minutes of walking on the shoreline, I stopped and faced the ocean. The shimmering reflection of the sun added some color to the ocean. It's very soothing and calm. I should come here more often. Especially when I see that stupid…

"KORY!" Someone had called out my name from behind me.

I turned around and at that exact moment, I wanted to run. I restrained myself from running. It took all my energy, but I restrained from running. Oh, great, he's coming.

"Kory, what are you doing here?" Richard asked.

I looked at his chest and realized he had a six pack. Of all the people, why him? What makes him so special?

"I'm here with my friends and we're here to kill some time before we go watch a movie," I explained. I didn't once smile at him.

"Oh," he said. He quickly looked around, as if trying to find my friends. "I don't see your friends anywhere, maybe you would like to walk around a bit with me."

Can you believe he was saying that? What a jerk! I mean, I could go on forever calling him improper names, maybe even adding some cursing somewhere in there. I was so frustrated, I began yelling in my head, and before I could think of an answer to his stupid question, something unexpected came out of my mouth.

"Sure," I said, without even having one thought to it. What did I just say?

I saw a smile appear on his face and he started walking and motioned for me to follow. I would have run the other way, but luck just wasn't on my side today. Behind me, a high tide was splashing up against the sand. I didn't feel like getting wet today. So, as we played followed the leader, I kept on cursing in my head. He stopped and waited for me to catch up. You know, there is a reason why I fall behind. I don't want to walk next to you, in front of you, or anywhere near you. I kept walking and pretty soon he was standing right next to me.

"So, where's your fiancé, Roy?" he asked after a little while. That's none of your business, I thought.

"He's somewhere," at least that's a more decent answer then the one I had in my head.

He nodded and we just kept walking.

"Where's _your_ fiance?" I asked. I was actually a little curious.

"She's in the beach bar," he said. Well, that's nice of you to leave your fiancé alone at the bar. But, hey, it's Summer we're talking about, I don't care about her.

"Oh," I said and checked my watch. 4:30, good enough. I just couldn't spend another minute with Richard, especially if the paprazzi came; and you know what they will do. They'll take a whole crap-load of pictures and publish them in a tabloid, like they did last time.

"Well, Richard, I have to get going, but, uh, nice seeing you here," I said. That last part I didn't mean, just to straighten things out.

"Oh, um, ok, see you around, Kory," he said and I walked off to the direction on the Boardwalk. I didn't once look back.

I caught up with Raven and Gar at the end of the Boardwalk. Gar was eating ice cream and Raven was reading a book. I didn't know there was a bookstore here.

"Kor, you're on time, let's go, the movie begins in 20 minutes!" Gar said.

Raven got up and closed her book. I walked next to Raven as Gar walked in front of us.

"So, Kory, what did you do for forty minutes?" Raven asked. I hesitated to answer what had really happened, but she's a trustworthy best friend.

"I ran into Richard and we walked around the shoreline," I said. Nothing special happened. I was about to ask Raven what she and Gar did, but I think it's best to leave it their business. Not like I thought anything special happened between them, but there are possibilities.

We reached the cars and I mentally said goodbye to the beach as we drove off to the cinema to see M:i:3. Goodbye and good riddance, Richard Grayson.

**A/N Seven pages with over 3,000 words. Not bad. A new record for this fic. I actually had time for this chapter, it might take me a long while to update again due to my tight schedule which includes a 20 page research term paper, without that, I can't pass into the next grade. But to keep my spirits up, Plz Review!**


	4. Over My Head

**A/N I always forget to put the disclaimer. Anyway, I passed into the next grade! YAY! And I'm also the school's student council secretary! I'm so excited for next school year!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or the alter egos of the Teen Titans… but I do own a cute Sasuke plush from the anime expo!**

**To Have and To Hold  
****Chapter: 4**

**Over My Head  
****By: xStarfirex**

It's been a week since I last hung out with Raven and Garfield. It was a Friday night and I sat on my living room couch watching some MTV. My week was very tiring, I had such a tight schedule. On Monday I had to fly to New York for a book signing and didn't come back until Wednesday. On Thursday, I had a live television interview followed by an after party. Earlier, I had to go to the hospital and entertain those sick, little children. I visited every room and read them a picture book. Then after that, I had to make a commercial promoting my novel. But hey, at least I got paid. Now I can add $800,500 to my bank account.

It's been an hour since I got home and I still haven't gotten up from the couch. I was about to drift off to sleep when a sudden thought hit me.

"OH MY GOD! TOMORROW'S MY ANNIVERSARY AND I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING FOR ROY!" I shot up and ran to the door where I slipped on my lace-free converse. I was about to go outside until I realized I left my purse upstairs. Quickly, I ran up the stairs and grabbed my purse from my desk. I ran back downstairs and grabbed my jacket from the dining room chair. I know, I'm very messy, I leave my stuff everywhere. I ran out of my Penthouse dressed in blue jeans, a white halter top, and my short black crochet jacket. I quickly drove down to the Gotham City Mall. After about an hour and thirty minutes I finally found something. It was an ipod video. It was a perfect gift! He's away on business trips sometimes and a way to see me would be through the ipod photos. SWEET! I took a black ipod video and case to the cashier and paid in cash, but she gave me a discount if I gave her my autograph. 10 percent discount baby!

After I bought the ipod, I went to the parking structure and just drove home. I became too lazy to look around the mall more. On the way home, I picked up some McDonalds. I admit, I was hungry. I got home just in time for American Idol.

* * *

I woke up the next morning by the sound of a loud and high-pitched voice. I squinted my eyes and realized it was _my_ voice, except it was on the answering machine. After a beep, I heard Raven's voice. I took the cordless phone, which was near the bed, and answered it.

"Hello?" my sleepy voice said.

"Hey Kory, Happy Anniversary! Congrats on your 3 year relationship with Roy," said Raven.

"Thanks Raven."

"I hope he's taking you somewhere special later."

"I think he will." I sounded confident.

"That's great, tell me the story later, talk to you soon."

"Ok Raven, see ya."

I hung up and pulled the covers off of me. I looked at my digital clock and it read 9:10. It was still early. I went to the bathroom and washed my face to wake me up. I tied my hair in a ponytail and went downstairs to the kitchen. I made some French toast for breakfast and quietly ate it outside on the balcony. It overlooked the city, but the tallest building in view was Wayne Enterprises and far off in the distant I could see Wayne Manor… and something small and bright pink moving. I'm guessing it was Summer. I can't believe she can be seen all the way from my place. Far off into the horizon on my right, I could see a small island all alone in that big body of water known as Lake Gotham. Right in the middle of that tiny island was a tall building. I'm not sure what's inside it, I've never been in there.

I finished the last of my breakfast and went back inside. My phone started ringing and I answered it.

"Morning Honey," Roy said on the other line. He sounded happy and excited.

"Hey," I said. I sounded a little sleepy.

"Get ready; I'm coming by to pick you up at 11:00."

"Where are we going today?" I asked.

"My surprise," he said and hung up.

I carried my empty plate to the kitchen. I turned on my stereo and put a CD in the CD player. The Fray with their hit song 'Over My Head (Cable Car)'

_I never knew  
I never knew that everything was falling through  
That everyone I knew was waiting on a queue  
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth  
But that's how it's got to be  
It's coming down to nothing more than apathy  
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see  
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears _

Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head  
With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind  
She's on your mind

Let's rearrange  
I wish you were a stranger I could disengage  
Say that we agree and then never change  
Soften a bit until we all just get along  
But that's disregard  
Find another friend and you discard  
As you lose the argument in a cable car  
Hanging above as the canyon comes between

Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head  
With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind  
She's on your mind

Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head  
With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind  
She's on your mind

And suddenly I become a part of your past  
I'm becoming the part that don't last  
I'm losing you and its effortless  
Without a sound we lose sight of the ground  
In the throw around  
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down  
I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves

Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head  
With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind  
She's on your mind

Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head  
With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind  
She's on your mind

The song ended just as I came out of the shower. I wrapped a towel around my body and another around my hair. I picked up a knee length white skirt and a pink one-shoulder shirt. I put them on and blow-dried my hair. I wore a sapphire heart-shaped necklace around my neck and a pink flower in my hair. I put the flower in the left side of my hair, of course, because I have a fiancé. If it was on the right side, I'd still be single. I applied some light makeup on my face, put a little perfume on, and grabbed my pink purse. I went downstairs and put on white high-heeled shoes. It was only 10:20, I still have forty minutes to myself. I sat on my sofa and turned on the tv. I flipped through the channels until I reached HBO. Nothing good was on so I flipped through the channels once again until I reached the anime channels. 'Spirited Away' was showing. That was a good movie, the first time I saw it.

I decided to watch it and after about thirty minutes into the movie, I went to the kitchen for a glass of water. After I drank, I heard my doorbell ring. What perfect timing. It's like Déjà vu.

I walked over to the French double doors and opened one. Roy stood there with a bouquet of roses.

"Happy Anniversary, Kor!" Roy said as he handed me the bouquet.

"How beautiful!" I locked my lips on his with a what-seemed-like-forever kiss. I broke the kiss and put the flowers in a vase before they decide to wilt out on me.

"Ok, let's go," I said and we walked out of my place hand in hand. How sweet.

Roy drove us the piers in South Gotham Beach in his red Porsche. The beach is way pretty in the day. All those hot half naked male surfers, it's like heaven. Hehe, what am I saying? I blushed deeply as I thought of this. Roy made a sharp right at the corner and I caught myself off guard as I leaned to the left. I have to pay attention to reality more often. Roy parked his car in an empty parking space and we got out.

"So… what are doing today?" I asked. I was totally unaware of what we would be doing today. Hey, not fault, Roy didn't tell me anything.

He grabbed my hand and we started walking to one of the piers.

"Today, we're gonna have lunch on a yacht, it's a buffet, don't worry. Then the yacht will drop us off at Catalina Island. From there we can go speed boating, go swimming, bike riding, anything. Then at night, we take the yacht back here to Gotham and I'll take you to a fancy restaurant," Roy explained. Wow, I'm impressed. He made all these plans by himself.

"Wow," was all I could say. The day was too perfect for words.

We boarded a gorgeous white and blue yacht. It was huge! Roy gave me the grand tour. It was beautiful. Then we went up to the third floor where a table full of food was. Yes, a buffet! We sat at the small white table and began getting our food. The food was delicious. After Roy's private waiters cleared the table, Roy and I stood on the deck on the first floor. It was very windy, but I like it when my hair dances with the wind. I stood at the very edge of the yacht and held out my arms. Roy wrapped his arms around me and it was like we had made a re-enactment of Jack and Rose on Titanic. Dolphins were jumping by the yacht and they looked so adorable! They made their famous squeaks at us as if they were trying to say 'Happy Anniversary!'

About an hour later, we were off the coast of Catalina. Catalina was beautiful. A small secluded piece of Earth, a peaceful retreat. My way of describing such a place. The yacht parked on the docks and Roy and I got out and set foot onto a new island.

"So, what do you want to do?" Roy looked at me.

"Hmmm…" I was looking around trying to find something, anything, to do, "There. Speed boating," I said as I pointed to a little shack on the beach that had the sign with words saying 'Boat Rental' written in big blue letters on the top.

"Ok," he happily said. We entwined our fingers and made our way across the sandy beach and onto the wooden platform on which the shack was standing on.

Pretty soon, we had rented a medium sized speedboat and were off to sea with it. We circled Catalina and found a beautiful waterfall. We docked the boat and walked around a little bit.

We stood on a little bridge on the little river leading to the ocean. Some water drops from the waterfall fell on us. Actually, it felt good. It was very refreshing.

"Kory, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for quite some time now, but I didn't have the right timing, and now, rite now is perfect," Roy said.

I turned to look at him, but I didn't have to look up to see him. Instead I looked down. Roy was down on one knee and he opened a little leather case to reveal a stunning 30 karat diamond cut ring.

"Kory Anders, will you marry me?"

The words I've been waiting to hear.

**A/N The cliffie has arrived! Mwahahaha! Sorry for not updating so long. I have so many other things in my mind. Summer vacation is so boring! And I got no webcam:( But at least, when we get back to school, I'll be Ms. Secretary! My friends gave me that nickname so don't ask. I'm going to update my other fic 'Crimson Blade' I hope you reviewers still like that fic. I'm getting help from pixiepuff101 on finishing to write that. I thank her in many languages. Arigato, Salamat, Grazie, Merci, Gracias, and not to forget, Thank You! Sadly, my Fruits Basket fic is not very popular. Only two reviews! But I won't give up, the plot has been in my mind for quite some time. I might update 'Sweet Scent' and 'Collide' sometime soon. My Escaflowne fic is getting boring, but I won't give up on it! I will try and finish most of my fics before Summer vacation ends!**

**Thank you all for your support on this fic and please continue to review! Reviews make me happy. I won't let you reviewers down on this story! Oh and Naruto marathon on Saturday! Can't wait!**


	5. Officially Official

A/N Oops I didn't realize 6 years really did pass by since I last updated this thing. I started writing this in middle school and now I'm a second year college student. Time sure does fly. I hope to properly end a good chunk of the fanfics I've written, but for now here's another chapter of "To Have and To Hold."

**To Have and To Hold  
****Chapter: 5**

**Officially Official  
****By: xStarfirex**

"Of course I'll marry you, silly."

You see, when our fathers arranged our marriage a few years back, Roy and I just weren't that into each other. We both knew we'd have to marry each other someday, but we didn't take it so seriously at the time. And now after endless hours of being together and getting to know each other, I've become very fond of him as is I am to him. And dare I say it, we have fallen in love. This love is now officially official. I now have a ring to prove it.

He smiles a big, gorgeous, eye-crinkling smile and slips the ring on my finger. Then he takes me into his arms and swings me around and in this moment, I can feel his utter delight and his sincere love for me.

"Kory Anders, I have officially put a ring on it. You don't know how happy you've made me," Roy says as he gently puts me down and kisses my forehead.

"Right back at you, sweetie." I lean up and kiss his lips letting him know that he has my full devotion. "Did you really plan to propose here?" I ask, pointing to the waterfall behind us.

"Well the details weren't exactly thoroughly thought out, but I'm glad you picked this location. It's nice here," he says and he puts an arm around my waist.

We admire the waterfall for a bit before roaming around this part of the island. It was full of vast greenery everywhere; various types of trees all with different heights. There were many beautiful and colorful flowers. The sound of the ocean mixing in with the sounds of the birds created a very relaxing atmosphere, almost as if the hustle and bustle of the big city were a million miles away instead of a couple hours away. We circled around again and ended up back at the waterfall. I dunk a finger in and found the water to be nice and cool. It was a hot day, why not? I took my skirt and shirt off and jumped right in. As I swam to the surface of the water, Roy's expression was one of surprise. Like he couldn't believe I just stripped myself and jumped in the water like it was nothing. That split second of spontaneity made me forget about everything. Forget about my busy work days, forget about my best friend being in love denial, forget about Richard and how I literally keep seeing him everywhere. Yeah, I definitely need more of those split seconds.

"Join me!" I yell out to Roy, who is now squatting by the water and evidently hesitant to come in. He shakes his head and splashes me with water. I let out a yelp and splash him back.

"Look what you've done now." I look back up at him and it seems I splashed him real good. His shirt is dripping with water and his hair is now flat and wet. I smile to myself as now I won't be the only wet one boarding the yacht. "Time to go, baby," he says as he offers a hand out to me. I stare at it and decide to pull it, causing him to make a big splash in the water. I laugh as he surfaces and coughs out some water. For a second he looks a little mad, but that quickly dissipates and he playfully rolls his eyes and splashes me as he gets out.

Soon enough we're back on the speedboat, still soaking wet and no towels to dry off with. Mental note: next time I think I'm going to be spontaneous, bring some towels.

"Happy Anniversary!" I playfully say as I hug Roy from behind. I know he's not too thrilled about being wet, but I also know he got a kick from it.

After we return the speedboat, we realize we still have some time to kill before the yacht departs so we casually stroll over to some gift shops and other stores. Of course my book would be in the window display of the bookstore. I smirk and put my head down for fear of any hardcore book fans recognizing me nearby. One store in particular that Roy and I entered had a variety of home furnishings. The little trinkets looked hand crafted and the furniture looked of high quality. Looking at the price tags, they really must be high quality. I roam over to one section of the store that contained little ornaments, key chains, and whatnot and something particularly stood out to me. It was a keychain of a little bird. It was handcrafted from wood and covered in feathers to resemble the real bird. It was gray-ish with a bright orange stomach. A robin maybe? There was just something about it. So I fished out $14 and bought it.

"That's a cute little piece of décor you got," Roy appears behind me as the cashier is putting my purchase in a bag. I smile appreciatively at him as we exit the store.

"Thank you for this little trip," I say sweetly as Roy and I make our way back into the yacht, heading back to Gotham.

"Oh this day is not over yet. Now not only does dinner celebrate our 3 year anniversary, but also our new engagement," Roy proudly announces. This fiancé of mine never ceases to amaze me.

At dinner, we are on a rooftop on one of the tallest buildings in Gotham. Glass surrounds the whole establishment so we get a 360 view of Gotham. The sun is just starting to set in the west and I find myself admiring the view as it sets out on the horizon, illuminating the sky in orange. Oh what a week this has been. The waiter arrives with our champagne and I realize I really need a drink.

"You know, we have to start planning our wedding now since our fathers still assume we're getting married in five months," Roy says as he takes a bite of his Kobe Filet. I completely forgot how short five months is to plan a lavish wedding. To tell you the truth, I assumed our fathers would plan the whole thing out since it was their idea in the first place.

"You're right. I'll start tomorrow. Should we get a wedding planner?" I ask.

"That might be helpful." Of course Roy would say that; he has no idea how to plan a wedding. And neither do I.

The next morning I call up Raven.

"Hey, guess what? I'm engaged!" I yell over the phone as I grab my iced grande low-fat caramel macchiato from Starbucks.

"I already know that though," Raven says nonchalantly.

"Well this time I have a ring to prove it!"

"About time! Send me a picture, I must see what this long awaited ring looks like," she says. I quickly snap a picture and send it to her. "Wow that's gorgeous! That must have definitely been worth the wait."

"After years of developing our love, it's finally as unique as this ring," I giggle.

"I'm so happy for you two," she says and I think I hinted a bit of envy in that tone.

"How are you and Garfield?" I change gears as I head out the door and on to Main Street.

"I keep you telling you this, Kory, we're just friends. And we're fine. He wants to take me to some new dessert place in town tomorrow night."

"How exciting! He finally might ask you to be his girlfriend," I squeal over the phone.

"Don't say that! We just work together ok?" Her tone got softer towards the end of that line and I can tell she's blushing. There's definitely some heat going on between those two. "I'll talk to you later, Kory. I still have lines to memorize."

"Ok then I'll talk to you later." I hang up and pull out a note with an address written on it. After about 15 minutes of walking, I'm outside Star Weddings and Events.

Taking a deep breath I walk into the giant double doors and into an elegantly decorated foyer; beige colored walls with gold trimmings, marble floors, and pictures in big frames of happy couples. There are love seats strategically placed around the foyer and I see two women sitting on one, a young woman eagerly hunched over a wedding dress magazine and an older woman, presumably her mother, casually looking with her. In the middle there is a large table with a vase of colorful flowers and magazine neatly surrounding it. I walk up to the reception table behind it and a blonde-haired blue-eyed young woman looks up from her laptop and flashes me a smile.

"Welcome to Star Weddings and Events," she happily states.

"Hi, I'm Kory Anders. I have an appointment with Katherine Heathman at 11." The blonde quickly types something on her laptop and after a few moments she tells me to take a seat while she informs Katherine Heathman of my arrival.

As I wait, I skim though a magazine of wedding destinations. There's Aspen, Honolulu, Disney World, and many other creative destinations I would not have thought of. I mentally visualize an Orlando wedding in an enormous open chapel right on the beach front, with a cool breeze coming in and a 15 foot train on my dress that trails behind me as I walk towards my groom. Except…

"Ms. Anders? Ms. Heathman is ready for you," the blonde interrupts my reverie. I gather my composure and my belongings and follow the blonde past the draped curtains that lead to the offices behind. We walk to the very end where Katherine Heathman's name is elegantly stenciled on the door.

"Good morning, Ms. Anders. I am Katherine Heathman, but you can call me Kate. Have a seat and we can start planning your wedding," Kate shakes my hand and offers me a seat on the bright red cushioned chair in front of her desk.

Katherine Heathman is one of the top wedding planners in Gotham. She's done numerous celebrity weddings and she knows a lot of people to make every woman's dream wedding a reality, no matter how far fetched the idea is. She seemed like the perfect planner for my wedding, especially on such a time constraint with it being only five months away and not a detail planned.

"Have you decided on a date for your wedding?" she asks.

"In five months," I quietly say, gauging her reaction. She pauses and her eyes widen slightly.

"Five months is very little time to plan a lavish wedding," she states matter-of-factly.

"I know, but that's why I came to the best." She grins a little and starts typing on her laptop. Guess I've got a wedding planner.

After a long chat with Kate and what seemed like hundreds of pamphlets later, I head out of Kate's office with an overwhelmed mind. Location, flowers, wedding dress, food, budget, although budget is not too much of a concern, are just a few of the many things I have to worry about. I sigh heavily and roll my eyes up to the ceiling and mistakenly drop my pamphlets as I bump into something…or rather, someone. Richard arches an eyebrow at me before simultaneously bending down to gather my belongings.

"Sorry about that Ms. Anders, but it seems like we meet again," Richard says.

"Seems like it," I say without making eye contact.

"May I ask what you are doing in this fine establishment?" He asks smoothly.

"Like you, I have a wedding to plan. Unlike you, I only have 5 months to do," I coolly explain. He picks up the last of my things and stands with me.

"Actually, my wedding has been moved a month earlier than planned. It seems like Bruce and my future father-in-law have some sort of deal they would like to pursue sooner," he explains exasperatedly, as if the wedding were some sort of inconvenience to him. "Anyway, it seems like we will be using the same wedding planner. May the best wedding catch the most media attention," he smiles and stalks off into Kate's office. I am astounded by his egotism. This hot shot billionaire _would_ want the most media attention. But no matter, I will not be a bridezilla.

That night, Raven comes over with a bottle of white wine and Chinese food. Exactly what I needed, a breather.

"So you're competing with Grayson and Moth's wedding?" Raven eyes me.

"Not exactly. Richard thinks it's a competition of who can create the most media buzz, but I have no intention of stooping as low as that self centered man," I explain.

"You sound very cynical of him. Besides it _will_ be a media frenzy whether you like it or not."

"I know," I acknowledge as I scoop up a chopstick full of chow mein.

"He still doesn't remember, does he?"

"Who, Richard? I highly doubt he ever will," and I sound a little remorseful. Maybe that's why I'm so indifferent when it comes to him.

The week goes by smoothly. Lots of meetings with Kate, daily conversations with Raven, lots of love, kisses, and dinners from Roy, and thankfully, no Richard in sight. Until one day, I get a call from my publishers that I'm going to London and Paris for ten days to promote my book. Great. I'm spending a week and a half on the other side of the world in the midst of my wedding planning, and on such short notice too. Roy won't be so happy with this.

"Do you really have to go?" he whines as I rush around my bedroom packing my belongings.

"Unfortunately. It's only ten days, honey, I'll be back before you know it." I kiss his forehead and throw my bag of toiletries into my suitcase. Deep down inside, I'm a little grateful to be getting away, even if it's for work.

"So I'll be heading to London for five days to do book signings, have a book reading, some Q&A sessions, and head over to Paris for another five days to do the same thing," I explain my agenda to my sulking fiancé sprawled out on my bed. He nods his head in acknowledgement.

"Don't do anything dumb," he looks right into my eyes as he sits up.

"I won't," I assure him and he pulls me into a big embrace on my bed before falling asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning I'm up and ready and all checked in to my flight. Roy tells me he will take up where I left off on the wedding planning and a laugh escapes from my mouth. A guy making wedding plans is one of the most absurd things, in my opinion.

"I'll call you when I get there." We kiss and hug and I'm off towards the security check.

In my seat, I admire my engagement ring and remember how far we've come in just three years. I bend down to stow my phone, sunglasses, and keys in my bag and momentarily pause to admire my robin keychain. I used to have one that looked exactly like this. After we've taken off, I pull out a sleeping mask and pull down the window covering. Ten hours of sleeping is what I'll do.

When I get to London, it's one in the morning local time. I have to be up at eleven later to start my week. Good thing I got some sleep on the plane. I make a quick call to Roy to tell him I arrived safe and sound. I grab my bags from the carousel and hail for a taxi. I'm wide awake considering I slept for the whole day. On the way to the hotel, I spot the London Eye and Big Ben. I definitely have to find time to go there sometime this week. My excitement gradually builds as I pass by other wonders of London. I've never been to London before so I intend to explore, like a true tourist.

I arrive to my hotel at around two in the morning. It is a grandiose and elegant hotel that upholds a modern Victorian feel. The ceiling of the lobby is practically a mile high and there are paintings on the ceiling. There's a fireplace on one wall and sofas surrounding it. The floors are so shiny I can see my reflection in them. I pull my suitcases up to the concierge and check in. I'll be getting a suite on the top floor of the building. In my room, I get a panoramic view of London and if I stay awake long enough, I could even catch the sunrise. I carry my things up to the twenty-fifth floor via conveniently fast elevator. When I get off, the hallway is spacious and clean. The carpet is red with some gold designs and the walls consist of white panels with mirrors and paintings interchanging every few panels. Over head, there are chandeliers every few feet to light the way. I find my room quickly and pull out my key card. I hold my breath in, prepared to be astounded by my suite. But as I open the door…

"Well, this is a nice surprise," a voice startles me and I turn to the door next to mine to find the source of this voice.

"Richard?!" I stare at him in shock as Richard flashes me a pleased smile.

"It seems like we're suite neighbors," he coolly says. Oh damnit. So much for escaping everything Gotham.

A/N I feel like now I'm improvising this story because I forgot what my original ideas for it were and because of it, many elements have changed. Hoping for the best though. Til next chapter.


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